LITMIR.BIZ

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his gaze. He did care; that was obvious. He was a caring, kind man and she’d been naively deceived by Doug into thinking Tanner was some sort of closed-off, unfriendly loner who didn’t need or want any kind of familial relationships. He did want them... The way he’d bonded so effortlessly with Oliver was evidence of that.

      “I’ll help you get the house ready,” she said and smiled. “Some of the rooms need painting and the backyard could do with an overhaul. And perhaps some new light fittings. It shouldn’t take long to fix up.”

      “Sure,” he replied. “And don’t stress about moving. When the time comes we’ll find a place for you both.”

      “And what about the safety deposit box?” she asked. “Did you find anything important in it?”

      He shook his head. “No. It was empty.”

      It seemed odd, but Cassie didn’t press the issue. She nodded and finished her coffee. “I think I’d like to walk for a while.”

      “Want some company?”

      Did she? Being around him was increasingly unsettling. And since the tense moment in the kitchen when he’d comforted her she’d done little else but think about him. She could have sworn he was going to kiss her...and not just on the hand as he’d done. Naive and inexperienced she might be, but there was heat between them and spending time with him only added fuel to the fire.

      She should have sent him on his way. Should have.

      “Okay,” she said and got to her feet.

      He stood and tossed their empty cups in the trash. “Lead the way.”

      The beach was deserted and when they reached the sand she flipped off her sandals and shoved them into her tote. There were gray clouds rolling in from the sea and the wind whipped up around them. “I love it here on days like this,” she admitted as they started walking along the sand. “It’s got a mysterious mood about it when the clouds rumble and the wind howls.”

      He laughed. “Cold wind and unswimmable seas...not exactly my idea of a great afternoon at the beach.”

      “Wimp,” she said and laughed back. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

      They walked closely together and Tanner quickly steadied her when she lost her footing and tripped.

      “Oh, sorry,” she said breathlessly, gripping his arm. “I’m something of a klutz.”

      “I bet you’re not. Doug told me you were a dancer when you were young.”

      She grimaced. “Not exactly. I did ballet with Lauren when I was about ten. But I lasted only a few months.”

      “Best I not take you to the upcoming Rosemount Rodeo, then,” he said and grinned. “There’s a cowboy dance being held in the evening. Don’t want you stepping on my feet.”

      She released his arm. “I saw flyers advertising the rodeo when I was in town the other day. It’s about half an hour out of Bellandale, isn’t it?”

      “About that.”

      She nodded a little. “I’ve never been to a cowboy dance. I’m not sure I’d know how to move.”

      “It’s easy. You just hang on to one another and sway.”

      Suddenly the notion of hanging on to him, be it dancing or otherwise, sent another surge of heat coursing through her veins. It had been so long since she felt a man’s arms around her. And she missed it. She missed intimacy and closeness and...sex.

      Not that she’d had much of a sex life in the past few years. Doug’s visits were so infrequent and brief before she’d fallen pregnant with Oliver she’d begun to question his commitment to her and their relationship. Being involved with a career soldier was one thing...being involved with a man who could leave so easily time and time again, another thing altogether. Doug wasn’t tied to Crystal Point. And there were times when she’d wondered if she was little more than a cook and housekeeper for him to come back to every now and then. She’d also wondered what might have happened if Oliver hadn’t come along. She knew in her heart there would have to have been some serious changes to the dynamic of their relationship if it was to last.

      It certainly wasn’t the relationship she’d dreamed of when she was younger. As a teen she’d had her share of romantic fantasies. She’d been quiet and studious and anything she knew about romance and love she’d learned through novels and old movies.

       Well, almost everything...

      Once, long ago, she’d been swept off her feet. By a boy riding a horse, no less.

      She’d been on the beach with Lauren and they’d spotted the lone rider at the edge of the river mouth. Horses were common enough on the beach, so she hadn’t taken much notice, until her thirteen-year-old eyes had realized the rider was a boy around her age, and that he looked too gorgeous for words in jeans, plaid shirt and cowboy hat resting low over his eyes. Lauren had pushed her forward when he’d come close and she’d tentatively said hello. He’d done the same and they’d chatted for a couple of minutes. He was on vacation, staying with a relative. She’d explained she lived in the small town permanently. It had been puppy love at first sight for Cassie and she’d agreed to return the following afternoon and he was already riding off on his horse when she’d realized they hadn’t exchanged names.

      “What are you thinking about?”

      She glanced sideways when she realized Tanner was looking at her. “Nothing. You’ll think it’s silly.”

      “Try me,” he said with a wry grin. “Sometimes we all need a little silly in our lives.”

      Gosh, he was so right. She was tired of being serious all the time. Of worrying. Of overthinking. Of being a grown-up. Some days she longed to be frivolous and just have fun.

      “All right,” she said and took a deep breath. “I was thinking about how right over there,” she said and pointed to a crest of sand covered in clumps of grass, “is where I got my very first kiss.”

      His gaze narrowed. “Really?”

      “Yep. I was thirteen and very naive.” She laughed and grinned. “Hard to imagine, huh?”

      He smiled, as though he’d guessed she was a teenage dork. “And?”

      “And he was a boy I met on the beach. He was a cowboy,” she said and met his eyes. “Like you, I guess. He had a horse and a hat and a nice smile and he kissed me.”

      “And that’s it?”

      She shrugged. “It was enough. It was everything a girl’s first kiss should be... It was sweet and soft and his lips tasted like peppermint.”

      She smiled coyly, embarrassed by how foolish she must seem to him. But Tanner wasn’t laughing. He was watching her with such burning intensity she couldn’t move. The wind whipped around them and she shivered even though she wasn’t cold. Something kindled between them. A look. A memory. Something she couldn’t fathom. For the thousandth time she wished she knew him better. And she wished she wasn’t scared to death of letting him into her life and then knowing he’d be out of it once he left.

      “Anyway,” she said, stepping back. “It was a long time ago. And I never saw him again.”

      “So he just kissed you and took off?” he inquired, continuing to walk. “That’s not exactly chivalrous.”

      Cassie took a few long strides to catch up with him. “Actually, I took off. I spooked and ran.” She came to a sudden stop and waited for him to halt and turn around. “We should get back. I promised Mary-Jayne I wouldn’t be too long.”

      He crossed his arms, unmoving. “So why did you spook and run?”

      “Because that’s what I do,” she admitted on hollow breath. “When it comes to getting close to someone I guess I spook

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